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Santa Rosa County, Florida

Coordinates: 30°42′N 87°01′W / 30.70°N 87.02°W / 30.70; -87.02
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Santa Rosa County
County
Santa Rosa County Courthouse
Santa Rosa County Courthouse
Official seal of Santa Rosa County
Seal
Map of Florida highlighting Santa Rosa County
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Map of the United States highlighting Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°42′N 87°01′W / 30.7°N 87.02°W / 30.7; -87.02
Country United States
State Florida
FoundedFebruary 18, 1842
Named forSaint Rose of Viterbo
SeatMilton
Largest communityNavarre
Area
 • Total
1,174 sq mi (3,040 km2)
 • Land1,012 sq mi (2,620 km2)
 • Water162 sq mi (420 km2)  13.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
188,000
 • Estimate 
(2023)
203,162 Increase
 • Density160/sq mi (62/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.santarosa.fl.gov

Santa Rosa County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2020, the population was 188,000. The county seat is Milton, which lies in the geographic center of the county. Other major communities within Santa Rosa County are Navarre, Pace, and Gulf Breeze.[1] Navarre is the most populated community with a population of approximately 45,000 residents. Santa Rosa County is included in the Pensacola—Ferry Pass—Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which also includes Escambia County.

History

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The first European in Santa Rosa County Florida may have been Diego Maldonado, a member of Tristan de Luna's failed expedition. Natives dominated the area until the late 1700s. A Spanish mission serving Apalachees, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad y San Luís, may have been located in Floridatown from 1718 until 1740.[2][3]

Santa Rosa County was created in 1842, when it was divided from Escambia County. It was named after the barrier island along its southern coast, which in turn had been named for the Roman Catholic saint, Rosa de Viterbo.[4]

Santa Rosa County repealed its prohibition on alcohol in 2005.[5]

Santa Rosa County has seen unprecedented growth in population, specifically in the communities of Navarre, Pace, and Gulf Breeze. The county is a quickly growing tourist destination because of its access to beaches and protected wilderness areas for kayaking, hiking, and camping.[6]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,174 square miles (3,040 km2), of which 1,012 square miles (2,620 km2) is land and 162 square miles (420 km2) (13.8%) is water.[7]

National protected area

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Regions

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Santa Rosa County can be divided into three distinct sections: South Santa Rosa, Central Santa Rosa, and North Santa Rosa. The sections are centered on the main east–west roads that pass through the county.

Navarre Beach

South Santa Rosa County comprises the area from Holley and Navarre in the east to Gulf Breeze at the western end of the Fairpoint Peninsula, and along U.S. Highway 98. A section of Santa Rosa Island, containing the unincorporated community of Navarre Beach, is also part of South Santa Rosa County. Major bodies of water including Santa Rosa Sound, Pensacola Bay and East Bay strongly influence the housing and life style of citizens in the southern part of the county. This fast-growing region serves primarily as "bedroom communities" for Pensacola to the west and Hurlburt Field, Fort Walton Beach, and Eglin Air Force Base to the east.

Central Santa Rosa County is the area north of the bays and south of the extensive forests separating it from North Santa Rosa. The central section developed along the so-called Old Spanish Trail that ran from St. Augustine to New Orleans, and further points west. Today, U.S. Highway 90 closely parallels the old trail, and is the main highway that connects the region. Despite recent growth, the Central Region is best identified by its rural roots, and can be best characterized by traditional Southern culture. The Pace and Milton communities compose the Central Region, with both having populations roughly around 30,000.[8][9] The county seat, Milton is located where the trail crossed the Blackwater River. To the west of Milton bordering the Escambia River, Pace has experienced exponential growth both residential and commercial. Interstate 10 also passes through this section of the county. The U.S. Navy presence is marked by Whiting Field and NOLF Spencer Field.

Northern Santa Rosa County is forest and farming country. The only town in the north is Jay. Most development has been along State Road 4 which runs through the northern sections of Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties. A large oil and natural gas field around Jay produced a great deal of oil, and made many farmers millionaires in the 1970s and 1980s, but the field has been depleted and is producing little oil today. The citizens have, for the most part, returned to farming and forestry for their livelihoods.

State Road 87 traverses the county from north to south, between U.S. Highway 98 and the border with Escambia County, Alabama near Brewton, where it connects with State Route 41. This road is a primary emergency evacuation route for the county during hurricanes.

Adjacent counties

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Government

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Board of County Commissioners

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The Board of County Commissioners serves as the legislative and policy setting body of Santa Rosa County as established under Section 125 of the Florida Statutes. As such, the board enacts all legislation and authorizes programs and expenditures within the county. The board appoints a professionally trained county administrator who is responsible for policy and budget development and implementation.

The board comprises five members, elected countywide. Members must reside within the particular districts for which they seek election. Each year the board organizes itself, selecting a chair and vice-chair from among its members to preside at commission meetings.

Current Santa Rosa County commissioners
District Commissioner
1 (Pace/Central to western region) Sam Parker
2 (Milton/central to northeastern region) Kerry Smith
3 (Jay/central to northwestern region) James Calkins
4 (Navarre/southeastern region) Ray Eddington
5 (Gulf Breeze/southwestern region) Colton Wright

The commission meets in regular session beginning at 9:00 a.m. the second and fourth Thursday of the month in the Commissioner's Board Room in the Administrative Center, 6495 Caroline Street, in Milton. Called meetings and workshops are scheduled periodically and are advertised and open to the public.

County officials

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Office Officeholder
Supervisor of Elections Error in Webarchive template: Empty url. Tappie A Villane
Property Appraiser Greg Brown II
Sheriff Bob Johnson
Tax Collector Stan Colie Nichols
Clerk of Courts Donald C Spencer

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18502,883—
18605,48090.1%
18703,312−39.6%
18806,645100.6%
18907,96119.8%
190010,29329.3%
191014,89744.7%
192013,670−8.2%
193014,0833.0%
194016,08514.2%
195018,55415.3%
196029,54759.2%
197037,74127.7%
198055,98848.3%
199081,60845.8%
2000117,74344.3%
2010151,37228.6%
2020188,00024.2%
2023 (est.)203,162[10]8.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2019[15]
Santa Rosa County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010[16] Pop 2020[17] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 128,726 147,518 85.04% 78.47%
Black or African American alone (NH) 7,940 10,690 5.25% 5.69%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1,194 1,112 0.79% 0.59%
Asian alone (NH) 2,690 3,818 1.78% 2.03%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 200 362 0.13% 0.19%
Other race alone (NH) 218 847 0.14% 0.45%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 3,897 11,763 2.57% 6.26%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6,507 11,890 4.30% 6.32%
Total 151,372 188,000 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 188,000 people, 65,697 households, and 47,876 families residing in the county.

As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 117,743 people, 43,793 households, and 33,326 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 inhabitants per square mile (45/km2). There were 49,119 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile (19/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.72% White, 4.25% Black or African American, 1.01% Native American, 1.30% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.98% from two or more races. 2.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 43,793 households, out of which 36.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.90% were non-families. 19.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,881, and the median income for a family was $46,929. Males had a median income of $34,878 versus $22,304 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,089. About 7.90% of families and 9.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.60% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

Libraries

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The Santa Rosa County Library System has five branches located in the following communities: Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Jay, Milton, and Pace.

Communities

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The largest communities are Navarre and Pace.

Cities

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Town

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Census-designated places

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Ghost Towns

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  • Coon Hill
  • Floridale

Politics

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United States presidential election results for Santa Rosa County, Florida[19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 84,314 74.67% 27,035 23.94% 1,561 1.38%
2020 77,385 72.19% 27,612 25.76% 2,201 2.05%
2016 65,339 73.68% 18,464 20.82% 4,881 5.50%
2012 58,186 75.51% 17,768 23.06% 1,106 1.44%
2008 55,972 73.28% 19,470 25.49% 935 1.22%
2004 52,059 77.35% 14,659 21.78% 589 0.88%
2000 36,339 72.10% 12,818 25.43% 1,245 2.47%
1996 26,301 62.02% 10,936 25.79% 5,173 12.20%
1992 17,339 52.90% 6,556 20.00% 8,882 27.10%
1988 18,973 77.85% 5,254 21.56% 143 0.59%
1984 21,265 82.04% 4,649 17.94% 6 0.02%
1980 13,802 63.93% 6,964 32.26% 824 3.82%
1976 9,122 52.39% 8,020 46.06% 270 1.55%
1972 12,669 88.94% 1,491 10.47% 85 0.60%
1968 2,567 20.19% 1,600 12.58% 8,549 67.23%
1964 5,983 62.63% 3,570 37.37% 0 0.00%
1960 2,777 35.89% 4,960 64.11% 0 0.00%
1956 1,909 31.54% 4,144 68.46% 0 0.00%
1952 1,744 28.50% 4,375 71.50% 0 0.00%
1948 549 15.58% 2,316 65.72% 659 18.70%
1944 862 24.85% 2,607 75.15% 0 0.00%
1940 656 18.40% 2,910 81.60% 0 0.00%
1936 744 20.23% 2,934 79.77% 0 0.00%
1932 315 10.09% 2,806 89.91% 0 0.00%
1928 1,628 73.97% 541 24.58% 32 1.45%
1924 229 23.34% 693 70.64% 59 6.01%
1920 333 28.88% 813 70.51% 7 0.61%
1916 111 10.23% 896 82.58% 78 7.19%
1912 70 7.84% 592 66.29% 231 25.87%
1908 212 26.40% 535 66.63% 56 6.97%
1904 73 13.30% 403 73.41% 73 13.30%
1900 38 6.47% 519 88.42% 30 5.11%
1896 431 36.68% 694 59.06% 50 4.26%
1892 0 0.00% 452 83.86% 87 16.14%

Transportation

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Airports

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Highways

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See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  2. ^ Santa Rosa County Heritage Book Committee, ed. (2003). The heritage of Santa Rosa County, Florida. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. ISBN 978-1-891647-69-7.
  3. ^ Worth, John E. "Persacola Colonial Frontiers Project". Faculty Homepage: Dr. John E. Worth. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Publications of the Florida Historical Society. Florida Historical Society. 1908. p. 34.
  5. ^ "Suwannee Votes Wet". Suwannee Democrat. August 16, 2011. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  6. ^ "Blackwater River State Park". Florida State Park. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "Zip Code 32570 Profile, Map and Demographics - Updated December 2019". Zipdatamaps.com. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  9. ^ "Zip Code 32571 Profile, Map and Demographics - Updated December 2019". Zipdatamaps.com. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  10. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  15. ^ "State & County". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Santa Rosa County, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
  17. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Santa Rosa County, Florida". United States Census Bureau.
  18. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
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30°42′N 87°01′W / 30.70°N 87.02°W / 30.70; -87.02

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